[ALBUM REVIEW ] Isaiah Rashad’s Light Shines on “The Sun’s Tirade”

Rashad reflects largely on his transition to LA from Tennessee, and experiencing an entirely different lifestyle on the West Coast, spoiled by addiction indulgence on his latest project, The Sun’s Tirade. LA and drugs are both vices he repeatedly draws from, something he has addressed before in an interview on the Juan Epstein podcast (take a listen to that below).

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He pops a Xanax to “make your problems go away” on “Stuck in the Mud” and on “Dressed Like Rappers” he acknowledges his depression and need to feel numb. Then “Silkk Da Shocka,” Rashad and Syd tha Kyd sing a gorgeous duet about two lovers separated by the distance Rashad’s career has created. The love song turns confessional as he sings: “Feel so hollow unless you’re usin’ narcotics / See I don’t wanna be here if I don’t gotta / My weed habit so close to snortin’ powder.” Rashad’s emotional writing always hits home (see “West Savannah” off of Clivia Demo) but this time Rashad digs a little deeper.

He also tries some new sounds on Tirade. “A Lot” features a trap beat courtesy of Mike WiLL Made It and Pluss, and “Don’t Matter” makes an energetic turn on the project with it’s Andre 3000-influenced drum loop. The project also supplies yet another great Kendrick feature for this year. Lamar announces his distaste for presidential nominee Donald Trump on “Wat’s Wrong”: “Might stay in the Trump tower for one week / Spray paint all the walls and smoke weed.” Believe it or not, the track is the first collaboration between the two TDE rappers.

By the end, Rashad has proven to grow lyrically, to express complex emotions yet still entertain. The Sun’s Tirade does what every sophomore album should do. Rashad grows in both message and sound, making for a heavy but genuine project.